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Philadelphia, PA (June 17, 2008) – The National Constitution Center and Divided We Fail announce their collaboration on the 6th Annual John M. Templeton, Jr. Lecture on Economic Liberties and the Constitution, taking place at the Center on June 17, 2008, at 6:30 p.m.  Delivering this year’s lecture, titled “Health Care, Choice or Mandate?” will be Secretary Tommy Thompson, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and the 42nd Governor of Wisconsin, with a response from Senator Tom Daschle, former Senate Majority Leader from South Dakota.   

Visitors to www.dividedwefail.org will have the opportunity to join in this important public dialogue by submitting questions for the lecturers to address during the event.  They can also watch the program live at www.constitutioncenter.org and www.dividedwefail.org.  Following the event, video highlights, transcripts, and exclusive interviews with Secretary Thompson and Senator Daschle will also be available at blog.aarp.org/shaarpsession.  In addition, the lecture can be downloaded as part of the Center’s popular “We the People Stories” podcasts at www.constitutioncenter.org and in the Apple iTunes store under “News and Politics.”  

The National Constitution Center’s annual John M Templeton, Jr. Lecture series features leading experts on the U.S. Constitution discussing economic liberties.  Divided We Fail joined in sponsoring this event as part of a national series of forums being held this year to find solutions to two important issues facing voters – access to quality, affordable health care and lifetime financial security.  Over the past two months, Divided We Fail has convened similar events with opinion leaders from across the ideological spectrum to address these challenges in every state in the nation.

Representing more than 53 million Americans, AARP, Business Roundtable, the National Federation of Independent Business and Service Employees International Union joined together to form Divided We Fail last year to highlight the key issues of health care and financial security. To date, the group has received pledges of support to help ensure the issues of health care and financial security are dealt with from a half-million Americans in addition to hundreds of candidates running for the U.S. House, Senate and White House.  Senators John McCain and Barack Obama have each signed the pledge.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole.  AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates.  We produce AARP The Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud, our bimonthly magazine in Spanish and English; NRTA Live & Learn, our quarterly newsletter for 50+ educators; and our website, http://www.aarp.org.  AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors.  We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The National Constitution Center, located at 525 Arch St. on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the ideas and values it represents.  The Center serves as a museum, an education center, and a forum for debate on constitutional issues.  The museum dramatically tells the story of the Constitution from Revolutionary times to the present through more than 100 interactive, multimedia exhibits, film, photographs, text, sculpture and artifacts, and features a powerful, award-winning theatrical performance, “Freedom Rising”.  The Center also houses the Annenberg Center for Education and Outreach, which serves as the hub for national constitutional education.  Also, as a nonpartisan forum for constitutional discourse, the Center presents – without endorsement – programs that contain diverse viewpoints on a broad range of issues.  For more information, call 215.409.6700 or visit www.constitutioncenter.org.